gnucash NOT crashing now

[Beth Leonard]

On Thu, Nov 17, 2005 at 08:08:09PM -0500, Derek Atkins wrote:
> (cc'd to gnucash-devel)
> 
> Strangely, I just noticed that the "Save Report" feature
> isn't in the g2 UI.  Personally I think the "Save Report"
> is a misnomer -- it should probably be labeled "Memorize Report"
> or "Memorize Report Settings" or something to that affect.
> 
> I suspect that users think "Save Report" would mean "Save the
> contents of this report so I can send it to someone" which is
> not what this feature actually does.  Perhaps "Remember Report"
> would be another potential label?

Thinking aloud...

It seems that "save report" is more of "save report options" with
a bubble help text that would state, "Save the current report options
(accounts, date range, etc.) to a custom report for future use."

While the bug persists, the help sub-text should also state,
"Be sure to choose a unique report name."

To me "memorize Report" isn't any more descriptive than "save
report".

Personally I like the programs that work by remembering any
changes I made to the default options by default -- i.e. if
I change the expense report to include only accounts A,B, & C,
then the next time I go to the default menu item for "expense report"
it creates the report for expense accounts A,B, & C exactly as
the last time I viewed that report (but if the options are from
"current year start" to "today" than the pie chart may look
different from the last time I viewed that report.)

I can always click the "revert to defaults" button if desired.

If the save reports feature is not supported in G2, I'd posit that
this would be acceptable default behavior for many users.

Just remembering a person's settings the last time they viewed
a report does not address the issue of when someone wants to
regularly show their "Year 2004 expenses" pie chart in a tab
above their "Year 2003 expenses" pie chart.  For that use-case,
some type of "Save Report Options" or even "Save current as Custom Report"
or "Save as custom report" button is still necessary.

I agree with Derek that users may think "Save Report" means
"Save the contents of this report so I can send it to someone"
Another brainstorm I'm having while I should be going to bed is
to have a "Save as..." button which when clicked presents the
following options:

Save as html
	- Saves the snapshot in time as a web page that can be
	viewed exactly as-is at times in the future, even after
	the account data has changed.

Save as pdf
	- similar to save as html

Save as custom report type
	- Saves the current options to a custom report
	name, so that after the transactions in the datafile
	have changed, the report can be run again.


I'm sure we can think of lots of other formats and I know I'm welcome
to submit patches ;-)  I'm more thinking aloud to see if the English
and default behavior that makes sense and is pleasing to me would
be desirable to other users.

No sense in patching it if other people would hate it.

--Beth 
PS. I'm not at home as I write this and can't see exactly what
gnucash's current behavior is with the save as buttons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+                             Beth Leonard                          +
+       O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave              +
+       O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?        +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++